Method of embossing foil trays and the like by photoengraving



y 1967 M. A. GROGEL 3,322,003

METHOD OF'EMBOSSING FOIL TRAYS AND THE'LIKE BY PHOTOENGRAVING Filed Oct. 19, 1964 E Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG-2 INVENTOR. v 50 2 B MERRILL}GRQGEL -34 I 4 HIS ATTORNEYS May 30, 1967 M. A. GROGEL 3,322,003

METHOD OF EM BOSSING FOIL TRAYS AND THE LIKE BY PHOTOENGRAVING Filed Oct. 19, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 vr 1 m F I 70A y Yak/5Z1 -u,,m

a] 24 24 82 T v, I I I 80 v F INVENTOR. MERRILL A. GROGEL BY '2, r v W}. h

22 FIG,- 24 ms TTi NEYs United States Patent 3,322,003 METHOD OF EMBOSSING FOIL TRAYS AND THE LIKE BY PHOTOENGRAVING Merrill A. Grogel, Henrico County, Va., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 404,593 9 Claims. (Cl. 76107) This invention relates to a method of embossing articles, such as foil trays and the like, by a photoengraving process.

According to this invention a foil tray and the like are embossed by punch and die members which are photoengraved from an original image which may be drawn or otherwise produced on a background member such as a white board, paper, or the like.

According to this invention, an intricate design may be drawn by an artist on a background member, and any such intricate design may be photoengraved on the punch and die members in such a manner that the original image may be embossed on the foil tray and the like, and particularly the fiat bottom of such a tray, without the necessity of difficult routing operations to produce the punch and die members.

If desired, the original image may be photographed to produce two similar negatives, one of which is to be a punch forming negative and the other is to be a die forming negative, with such negatives having reproductions of the original image with opaque and transparent portions on the negative. The punch forming negative may be altered or retouched to have transparent portions corresponding to the punch walls of the punch member which is to be made therefrom. A punch forming member or plate may then be covered with a light sensitive etch or acid resisting coating. Thereafter, the punch forming member may be photoprinted to have a punch wall image formed on such acid resisting coating from such retouched punch forming negative. The photoprinted punch member may then be developed to remove the soluble parts of the coating and may then be etched one or more times to form punch walls on the punch forming member. A finished punch member is thus produced without any routing process.

Similarly, the die forming negative maybe altered or retouched to have opaque portions corresponding to the cavities of the die member. Thereafter, the die forming member or plate may also be covered with the light sen sitive etch resisting or acid resisting coating and such die member may then be photoprinted to have a die cavity image formed in the light sensitive coating from the altered or retouched die forming negative. Thereafter, the photoprinted die member may be developed to remove the soluble parts of the coating and may then be etched one or more times to form a finished die member.

The punch member and the die member may be then secured to an embossing press. Thereafter, an emboss'able sheet, such as an aluminum foil sheet, may be embossed in the press by such punch and die members.

Other features of this invention are apparent from this description, the appended claimed subject matter, and/ or from the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an embossed member, such as a circular pie plate, having a relatively flat rim, a wrinkled sloping side wall, and a generally fiat central embossed portion.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic cross section of a portion of a press for producing the pie plate of FIGURE 1, and having punch and die members photoengraved according to this invention.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged portion of the embossed bottom of the pie plate of FIGURE 1, showing in full lines 3,322,003- Patented May 30, 1967 the embossed image, and showing in dotted lines the telescoping walls of the punch and die members which produce such embossed image.

FIGURE 4 is an original image drawn on a background member which is similar to the image shown in FIGURE 3, but with lines corresponding substantially to the telescoping punch and die walls, and with registration marks added adjacent thereto.

FIGURE 5 is a further enlarged negative image of a selected area of FIGURE 4, and shown as one of the negatives produced therefrom.

FIGURE 6 shows an altered or retouched negative of the character shown in FIGURE 5, but retouched to show the punch wall forming portion of the negative in transparent form, and also showing one of the punch forming register marks in transparent form.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6, but showing the die forming negative turned over and showing the die cavity forming portion of the negative in opaque form and the die register mark forming portion in opaque form.

FIGURE 8 is an original image drawn on the background member to produce one of the small circles of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 9 is an image on one of the negatives produced by the original image of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 shows the punch forming negative of FIGURE 9 with the punch forming walls for the small circle of FIGURE 8 shown in transparent form.

FIGURE 11 shows a portion of the die forming negative of FIGURE 9, with the die cavity forming portion shown in opaque condition to produce one of the small circles such as shown in FIGURE 8.

FIGURES 12-17 show the series of photoengraving steps performed with punch forming negative shown in cross section taken along the line 1212 of FIGURE 6, on a portion of the punch forming member.

FIGURES 1823 show a series of steps similar to FIG- URES 1217 but applied to the cavity member and with the die forming negative shown in cross section taken along the line 1818 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 24 is a diagrammatic cross section showing the completely etched punch and die members mated together and clamped together, for machining the same to fit into the press punch and die receiving members of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 25 is a reduced scale view similar to FIG- URE 1, showing a more intricate design of embossed image thereon.

FIGURE 1 shows an article to be embossed by the method of this invention, and specifically shows a foil tray or pie plate 8 which may be made from aluminum foil in the order of from .O045.002" foil. While the embossed design shown thereon is relatively simple, it is to be understood that more intricate designs may be drawn and embossed on the bottom of the pie plate, such as artistic figures, which could not readily be produced by the old routing methods of the prior art. For example, the bottom may be embossed with an artistic figure such as a deer or the like, such as shown in FIGURE 25. However, to explain the principles of this invention, the same is shown in connection with the more simple design shown in FIGURE 1.

The pie plate 8 may have a generally flat, beaded rim 9, a wrinkled conical side wall 11, and a generally flat embossed bottom 13.

FIGURE 3 shows the embossed capital letter C of FIGURE 1 in full lines and in enlarged scale, such as at 10 and 12. The telescoping walls of the punch to produce this embossed figure are shown at 14 and 16 in dotted lines. The telescoping walls of the cavity of the die mem close to the letter C of FIGURE 4.

3 ber to produce this design are shown in dotted lines at 18 and 20.

To prepare to photoengrave the punch forming member 22 and the die member 24 of FIGURE 2, the artist may prepare an original image on a background member, such as a white board, paper, or the like, which has the size indicated at 26 in dotted lines in FIGURE 1. He then draws the capital letter C of the design of FIGURE 1 in double lines in the center of the sheet 26, but draws the letter C in the double lines 14A and 16A of FIGURE 4. These lines 14A and 16A correspond substantially with the telescoping side walls of the punch member which form the letter C. Likewise, he draws the double lines 18A and 20A of FIGURE 4, which correspond substantially to the telescoping walls of the cavity of the die member 24 which forms the letter C. By photoengraving procedures to be disclosed, the original figure of the capital C in FIG- URE 4 will be used to photoengrave the punch member 22, and the die member 24 with telescoping walls which will emboss a suitable foil member or the like with the letter C, which is shown in FIGURE 1.

The artist also prepares the sheet 26 with four reproductions of the smaller circles 28 of FIGURE 1. However,

instead of drawing the circles as the full single lines 28 of FIGURE 1, and as represented in large form with the dotted line 28 in FIGURE 8, he draws four inner circles 30, which correspond to the telescoping walls of the punch to produce the four circles 28, and he also draws four outer circles 32, which represent substantially the telescoping cavity walls of the die member to produce the four circles 28.

Additionally, the artist may draw two or more register marks 34 and 36. These have been shown near the letters C of FIGURE 4, but they may be placed anywhere desired, and probably farther apart from the center of the letter C than is shown. They preferably are placed where they do not interfere with any part that is to be embossed, and, in the design of FIGURE 1, would be placed not to interfere with the four circles 28 or with the letter C. However, for convenience in illustrating the principles involved, the register members are shown relatively The register marks 34 and 36 may be drawn with four angular lines 38, and two intersecting single lines 40, as shown in FIGURE 4. V

The original drawing or image on the sheet 26 therefore has a central part the same as shown in FIGURE 4, and four circles as shownwith solid lines 30 and 32 of FIGURE 8, and the register mraks 34 and 36 thereon at 'any convenient place.

This original drawing or image on sheet 26 may be photographed to produce two identical negatives, one of which will be used as a punch forming negative 42, and

. theother of which will be used as a die forming negative 44. However, the negatives are shown as 42 and 44 in retouched condition in FIGURES 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, and 18. Portions of the unretouched negatives are shownas at 46 in FIGURES and 9.

FIGURE 5 shows a portion of one of the unretouched negatives 46, taken along in the area of the dotted line 48 of FIGURE 4.

In FIGURE 5, the black lines 14A and 16A of FIG- URE 4 have reproduced as white lines 14B and 168, while the black lines 18A and 20A of FIGURE 4 have reproduced as the white lines 1813 and 20B of FIGURE 5. The register mark black angle lines 38 of FIGURE 4 have reproduced as the white angle lines 383, while the black intersecting lines 40 of FIGURE 4 have reproduced as the white intersecting lines 40B of FIGURE 5. Likewise, the black line 30 of FIGURE 8 has been reproduced on the negative at FIGURE 9 as white line 30B, and the black line 32 of FIGURE 8 has been reproduced as the white line 32B.

Therefore, each of the unretouched negatives 46 will be of a size of the sheet 26 of FIGURE 1, but such nega- 4. tives will have the white lines of FIGURE 5 in the center thereof, four sets of white circle lines, such as shown in FIGURE 9, at each of the places corresponding to the small circles 28 of FIGURE 1. Additionally, the negative will have two register marks formed of white lines of the character shown in FIGURE 5. a

The retouching artist then retouches the two negative 46. He retouches the punch forming negative 42 by opaquing the white lines 18B and 20B of FIGURE 5 and by making the area 50 between the lines 14B and 16B of FIGURE 5 transparent, by any well known retouching technique, such as by brushing on a reducing agent, or abrasively removing or erasing or cutting away the opaque layer of the negative along the opaquearea 50 of FIG- URE 5 to produce the transparent area 50C of FIGURE 6. He, likewise, makes the register marks 34 and 36 transparent, as indicated at 34C in FIGURE 6 and a similar transparent register mark for 36, not shown. Likewise, he

opaques the white line 32B of FIGURE 9, at all of the (four times) of FIGURE 11 to produce a die forming negative with the cavity forming parts in opaque images. It is to be understood that the negative, after it has been retouched as the die forming negative 44, is turned when applied at FIGURE 18, and as illustrated in FIG- URE 7, because the die and punch members 24 and 22 likewise have their faces turned 180 toward each other, and must be in mirror relationship.

To retouch the die forming negative to produce the image of FIGURE 7, the artist opaques the lines 143 and 16B of FIGURE 5 and opaques all of the white lines 38B and 40B of the register marks 34 and 36. He

flso reduces the density and makes transparent all of the area outside of the white lines 18B and 20B,-.and outside of the white lines 3813 of the register marks 34 and 36. In the same manner he opaques all of the white lines 3013 and 32B of FIGURE 9 (four times) to produce the circular opaque :area 58 of FIGURE 11 (four times). He likewise reduces the opaqueness and renders transparent'all of the area outside of the white lines 32B of FIGURE 9. He also turns the die forming negative upside down with respect to the punch forming negative, as previously described.

Hence, the die forming negative has a central dark C of the character shown at 54 in FIGURE7. It'also has two register marks in opaque fashion as shown in FIG- URE 7 at 56 and it has four circular opaque areas 58 ing negative 44 have been retouched or produced as heretofore described, these negatives can be used respectively to produce the photoengraving steps shown in FIG- URES 12-17 for the punch member 22 and the photoengraving and etching steps of FIGURES 18-23 for the die member 24.

In FIGURE 12, the punch forming member 22 is covered with a light sensitive etch resisting or acid resisting layer 60, which becomes insoluble to the later developing fluid where the light 62 has gone through the negative at the transparent parts, such as at 50C and 34C of the areas previously described. The members of FIG- URE 12 are held tightly together in the usual manner, such as by a vacuum frame or the like of well known construction, Then they are subjected to photoprinting light, such as actinic light 62, which renders insoluble those parts of the layer 60 which are under the transparent layers 34C and 50C as well as the transparent layers 52C (four times) of FIGURE 10, not shown in FIGURE 12. Thereafter, the negative 42 is removed, and the member 22 is subjected to a developing action, which removes the soluble parts of the layer 60 and allows only the insoluble parts 50D and 34D of FIG- URE 13, as well as those parts corresponding to the transparency 52C of FIGURE to remain.

Thereafter, the member 22 of FIGURE 13 is subjected to an acid etching action of FIGURE 14, which is the first etching action, or bite, which leaves the partially formed punch walls 62' and 64, etc., and eats away the etched parts 63.

As this first etch ordinarily is not made sufiiciently deep for embossing purposes without danger of undercutting the insoluble layers 50D and 34D, the product of FIGURE 14 is washed and dried and is then subjected to the dragons blood treatment, in which the dragons blood powder or similar powder which is available on the market is brushed in all four directions by the well known dragons blood technique over the plate 22 to provide side layers 66 of dragons blood powder which is then heat treated to proper, well known temperatures to make the powder adhere to the sides of the raised portions as illustrated in FIGURE 15, and to render such parts 66 acid resistant. Thereafter, the plate 22 is subjected to a further etching action as shown in FIG- URE 16, which has rendered the punch walls 64A and 66A of greater extent, and which has eaten away the exposed and etched areas 65. The unetched walls may be sufficiently high for embossing purposes. However, if the second etching operation of FIGURE 16 does not produce a sufficiently high set of punch walls, then a third, fourth, etc., dragons blood treatment and etching operations may be performed after the operation of FIG- URE 16, finally to produce the desired punch member 2 of FIGURE 17. This punch member, when cleaned, is ready for use as the punch member 22 of FIGURES 2 and 24.

In the same manner, the die forming negative 44 may be placed over the die forming member 24 of FIGURE 18, which has been previously coated with a similar light sensitive etch resisting or acid resisting layer 69 by well known photoengraving procedure. After the negative 44, layer 69, and die member 24 have been assembled as in FIGURE 18, and tightly secured together in a vacuum frame or the like, as is well known, the assembly may be treated by the actinic light 62. This causes the transparent areas of FIGURES 7 and 11 to render insoluble those portions 44D of the light sensitive layer 60 immediately under such transparent portions. Thereatfer, when the die forming plate 24 is developed, as in FIGURE 19, portions 45D of the layer 60 which were protected by the opaque portions 54, 56, and 58 of FIG- URES 7 and 11 (58 not shown in FIGURE 18) are developed or washed away, as shown in FIGURE 19, leaving those portions exposed for the etching procedure which takes place at 70 and 72 in FIGURE 20. This first etch, of FIGURE 20, produces the cavities 70 and 72, etc., on the plate 24, :as shown in FIGURE 20. To make the cavities 70 and 72 deeper, the dragons blood treatment is then performed, after proper washing and drying action, as shown in FIGURE 21, to place the dragons blood powder covers 73 to prevent undercutting. The dragons blood powder is heated to cause it to adhere to the sides of the walls of the cavities. Thereafter, a second etching action is produced at FIGURE 2'2, to cause the cavities 70A and 72A to become deeper.

If they are sufiiciently deep, the etching actions can be stopped there, or repeated until the proper depth is obtained, to produce the die member 24 of FIGURES 2, 23, and 24.

After the punch and die members 22 and 24 have been produced as shown in FIGURES 17 and 23, these members 22 and 24 may be mated together as shown in FIG- URE 24 so that the punch and die telescoping walls are properly telescoped. This includes the telescoping of the telescoping punch and die walls of the register marks respectively on the punch and die members. Then the members 22 and 24 are clamped together by a sufiicient number of bolts securely to hold the plates 22 and 24 together, as shown in FIGURE 24.

Thereafter, the desired outer walls of the members 22 and 24 may be formed or machined as by grinding means 82 or the like so the punch and die members 22 and 24 are properly received respectively in a punch receiving press member 84 and a die receiving press member 86 so that such punch and die members 22 and'24 produce a series of embossed foil tray or pie plates 8 of the character shown in FIGURES 1 and 25 from a strip of foil of aluminum of the character herein described.

Such punch and die members may be used to produce any type of embossed article desired, particularly where the embossing walls of the punch and die members telescope each other completely to force the entire width of the material of the article into the die cavities, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, when the plate 8 is of relatively thin aluminum foil in the order of from .0045"- .002" in thickness and the depth of the embossed figures is several times greater than such thickness.

If desired, the register mark walls 64A of the punch member 22 may be removed by routing and the register mark cavity 72A of the die member 72A may be filled in after the punch and die members 22 and 24 have been machined as in FIGURE 24 and before they are placed in the press members 84 and 86 of FIGURE 2.

It is also to be noted that after the members 22 and 24 have been mated as in FIGURE 4, the members 22 and 24 are clamped together and then bolt holes are bored through the members 22 and 24 to receive the bolts 80. Alternatively, any other type of clamping may be used which allows the desired machining of the outer surfaces of the members 22 and 24 so that such members accurately fit in the press members 84 and 86.

In FIGURE 2, the foil is first held at a circumferential portion between the rim holding members 88 and 90 of the press of FIGURE 2 while the members 88 and 90 are close together to hold the foil and to form the flat rim 9 of the pan. At that time the die member 86 may be in an up position somewhat as shown in FIGURE 2. Thereafter, the die member may be moved relatively to the punch member by moving the die member down to form the substantially flat embossed pan bottom 13 and the sloping wrinkled pan side wall 11 and the bead portion in a well known manner.

If desired, the press may hold the punch member 22 above the die member 24, as is well known.

It is common practice to provide the punch member 22 and the die member 24 of FIGURE 2 with air holes, not shown, for venting the air between such members 22 and 24 as the press operates. Also, it is common practice to provide bolt holes, not shown, in such members 22 and 24 for fastening such members to the corresponding press members 84 and 86. These holes are generally machined.

According to this invention, the art work on the sheet 26 of FIGURE 1 may be so drawn and prepared that the image which is to be embossed in the pie plate 8, or the like, is placed on the sheet 26 along with indications, not shown, for the guidance of the machine tools that are to be used to machine such air holes and bolt holes. Also, if desired, the indicated margin of the embossing die and punch members 22 and 24 may be shown on sheet 26, which margin must finally be machined in order to allow the press members 84 and 86 to accommodate the completed embossing punch and die members 22 and 24. Thereafter, the negatives of FIGURES 5, 6, 7. 9, 10 and 11 may be retouched to preserve such tool guiding indications so that corresponding tool guiding indications are produced during the photoengraving and etching steps of FIGURES 12-17 and 1823. Therefore, tool guidance indications, not shown, may be provided in the products shown in FIGURES 17 and 23 for the guidance of the machining tools above referred to. After the machining operations have been thus accurately guided by such guidance indications, any remaining portions of such guidance indications may be removed or eradicated by routing operations, or the like.

The advantages in this system is that the engineering of the bolt holes, air holes, etc., can be oriented with the embossing design at the time that the art work is originally prepared on the art sheet 26 so that the art work becomes the final guide for completing of the punch and die members 22 and 24. Thus both the mechanical and aesthetic features are automatically combined.

Such guidance indications for the machining operations preferably are placed on the sheet 26 at places which would be exterior of the art work, so that the art Work is not likely to be damaged during final routing and the like.

However, sometimes it may be desired or necessary to .place one or more of such guidance indications on the art work. In such case, the art and engineering features may be coordinated so that careful final eradication of any remaining portions of the guidance indications may be done without marring the art work.

By way of example, it is possible to provide a center mark or guidance indication for either or both the punch and die members 22 and 24, and such mark or guidance indication may be included in the original art work on sheet 26. Such mark may then be preserved on the negatives and on the photoengraving and etching procedures so that such center mark is still standing in the members 22 and/ or 24 and may be used by the machinist to locate and center the punch and/ or die member for turning or further machining of such member or members. When such machining operations have been completed, the center mark may then be carefully eradicated from the embossing surface, leaving the punch and/or die members '22 and 24 free for final embossing of the pie plate 8, and the like, as in the press of FIGURE 2.

' While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

. 1. A method comprising: producing an original image on a background member similar to an embossed image to he embossed on an embossable sheet by a pair of mat- 'ing punch and die members; reproducing a punch forming negative and a die forming negative from said original image having opaque and transparent portions; altering said punch forming negative to have transparent portions corresponding to the punch walls of said punch member; covering a punch forming member with a light sensitive etch resisting coating; photoprinting a punch wall image from said altered pun-ch forming negative on said punch forming member; developing said photoprinted punch member; etching punch walls on said punch forming member to produce a punch member; altering said die forming negative to have opaque portions corresponding to the cavities of said die member; covering a die forming member with a light sensitive etch resisting coating; photoprinting a die cavity image from said altered die forming negative on said die forming member; developing said photoprinted die member; etching die cavities on said die forming member to form a die member; and securing said punch member and said die member to an embossing press.

2. A method according to claim 1 comprising making said original image by punch lines corresponding to the telescoping walls of said punch member and by making die lines corresponding to the telescoping lines of said die member.

3. A method according to claim 1 comprising photoengraving register mark members on said punch and die members.

4. A method according to claim 3 comprising mating said punch and die members together by means of said register mark members, clamping together said mated punch and die members; and machining outer walls of punch and die members to fit in punch and die holding members in said press.

5. A method comprising: producing an original image on a background member, said image having one set of double lines corresponding substantially to the telescoping punch walls of an embossing punch member to be pro duced, and having another set of double lines corresponding substantially to the telescoping Walls of an embossing die member to be produced; producing said embossing punch member by photoengraving a punch plate from said original image; and producing said die member by photoengraving a die plate from said original image.

6. A method comprising: producing an original image on a background member, said image having an outline corresponding substantially to the telescoping punch walls of an embossing punch member to be produced, and having another outline corresponding substantially to the telescoping walls of an embossing die member to be produced; producing said embossing punch member by photoengraving a punch plate from said original image; and producing said die member by photoengraving a die plate from said original image.

7. A method according to claim 6 comprising producing negatives based on said original image and modified respectively to produce one negative as a punch negative and another negative as a die negative; and photoengraving a punch plate and a die plate respectively from 7 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 19,504 3/1935 Moore 72-306 X 1,947,916 2/1934 Mitchell 76-107 2,172,970 9/1939 Ford 76-107 2,369,960 2/1945 Gage et al. 76-107- 2,743,629 5/1956 Pellegrino et-al. 76-107 2,980,046 4/1961 McGregor et al. 72-414 X GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, 111., Primary Examiner. 

1. A METHOD COMPRISING: PRODUCING AN ORIGINAL IMAGE ON A BACKGROUD MEMBER SIMILAR TO AN EMBOSSED IMAGE TO BE EMBOSSED ON AN EMBOSSABLE SHEET BY A PAIR OF MATING PUNCH AND DIE MEMBERS; REPRODUCING A PUNCH FORMING NEGATIVE AND A DIE FORMING NEGATIVE FROM SAID ORIGINAL IMAGE HAVING APAQUE AND TRANSPARENT PORTIONS; ALTERING SAID PUNCH FORMING NEGATIVE TO HAVE TRANSPARENT PORTIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE PUNCH WALLS OF SAID PUNCH MEMBER; COVERING A PUNCH FORMING MEMBER WITH A LIGHT SENSITIVE ETCH RESISTING COATING; PHOTOPRINTING A PUNCH WALL IMAGE FROM SAID ALTERED PUNCH FORMING NEGATIVE ON SAID PUNCH FORMING MEMBER; DEVELOPING SAID PHOTOPRINTED PUNCH MEMBER; ETCHING PUNCH WALLS ON SAID PUNCH FORMING MEMBER TO PRODUCE A PUNCH MEMBER; ALTERNATING SAID DIE FORMING NEGATIVE TO HAVE OPAQUE PORTIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE CAVITIES OF SAID DIE MEMBER; COVERING A DIE FORMING MEMBER WITH A LIGHT SENSITIVE ETCH RESISTING COATING; PHOTOPRINTING A DIE CAVITY IMAGE FROM SAID ALTERED DIE 